05 October,2015 04:05 PM IST | | A Correspondent
Kate Winslet achieved global stardom with 'Titanic' (1997) opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. In a career spanning over two decades, Winslet has appeared in films ranging from crime drama 'Heavenly Creatures' (1994) to period drama 'Sense and Sensibility' (1995) and to sci-fi action 'Divergent' (2014). On Kate Winslet's 40th birthday today, we dig up 10 interesting facts about the English actress that you may not have known
Birthday special: 10 interesting facts about Kate Winslet
1. Kate Winslet began studying drama at the age of 11 at the Redroofs Theatre School in Berkshire, England.
2. At the age of 12, Kate Winslet appeared in a television commercial for Sugar Puffs cereal.
3. Kate Winslet made her television debut with a co-starring role in the BBC's sci-fi show 'Dark Season' (1991).
4. She made her film debut in 'Heavenly Creatures' (1994) for which she garnered critical acclaim. Kate Winslet shared her first on-screen kiss with Melanie Lynskey, her co-star in the film.
5. Kate Winslet also made her singing debut in 'Heavenly Creatures' (1994) with a cappella version of 'Sono Andati'.
She has lent her voice to soundtracks of her films including the single 'What If' from 'Christmas Carol: The Movie' (2001). The song reached the top 10 charts in UK in 2001.
6. Kate Winslet appeared in an episode of the BBC/HBO comedy series 'Extras' (2005), starring and co-directed by Ricky Gervais, as a satirical version of herself. Dressed as a nun, she gave phone-sex tips to the romantically-challenged character of Maggie. Her performance in the episode led to her first nomination for an Emmy Award.
Winslet went on to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as the title character in HBO miniseries 'Mildred Pierce' (2011).
7. At 33, Kate Winslet was the youngest actress to receive six Oscar nominations (for 'Sense And Sensibility', 'Titanic', 'Iris', 'Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind', 'Little Children' and 'The Reader'). She went on to win her first Oscar for 'The Reader' in 2009.
Kate Winslet. Pic/AFP
8. Kate Winslet won both -- the Best Actress (for 'Revolutionary Road') and Best Supporting Actress (for 'The Reader') awards -- at the 2009 Golden Globes.
9. Kate Winslet is a vegetarian.
10. Kate Winslet wrote the book 'The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism' to raise awareness and support for autism. The book has personal statements from various celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine.
